Awards

Compton Fellows Announced

Dorien Ediger-Seto and Jackson Kroopf have been awarded the Compton Mentor Fellowship

Ms. Ediger-Seto will be working on a project for the year entitled:

"Post-Trauma Relief and Law Enforcement Accountability in the Detention of Unaccompanied UndocumentedMinors in Arizona" inFlorence, Arizona

"...100,000 children attempt to cross into the United States via the Mexico border each year. Violence, both physical, emotional, and structural, pervades the migratory experience for all migrants, but especially for unaccompanied children. Working in conjunction with The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project (FIRRP), my project will have four major components. Though they are distinct from each other, each addresses an aspect of the detention and deportation system that relates to dignity, as well as to violence, trauma, and the healing process." Lindsay N. Marshall, Executive Director, The Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project will serve as her mentor.

Mr. Kroopf will be working on a project for the year entitled:

"Mission: R.E.A.L. Hip-Hop Theater" in Poughkeepsie, NY

"Mission: R.E.A.L. Hip-Hop Theater is an effort to promote responsible, active, critical, imaginative, inspiring, and passionate citizens through the collaboration of Poughkeepsie community members and Vassar community members attempting to interrogate, to question, and to transform the borders between two historically divided communities with innovative performance."

"The Compton Foundation created the Mentor Fellowship Program to promote the creativity and support the commitment of graduating seniors as they move beyond academic preparation to focus on continuing ‘real world' application and contribution. The Fellowship is intended to be for one year (with a stipend of $35,000), beginning and ending at the annual mid-July gathering of Fellows held in the San Francisco area.

The Compton Mentor Fellowship Program is based on the belief that life-changing experiences occur when formal learning becomes transformed by action. Such complementary learning helps one see - and appreciate - the larger world through different eyes and a broadened perspective. In a sense, each Fellow co-creates the program: the pragmatic, self-directed nature of the Fellowship experience is meant to deepen and enrich knowledge, and guide Fellows to apply new understanding of themselves and the world in original ways.

The Compton Mentor Fellowship Program welcomes innovative projects that encompass elements of the Foundation's funding interests in environment and sustainability, peace and conflict resolution, climate change and energy policy, or population and reproductive health. Proposed Fellowship projects should reflect a candidate's genuine interest in, and commitment to, a specific concern. In sum, the project should be personally meaningful and of significant social merit."

Vassar is one of ten schools participating in this innovative program. Each school was asked to submit two nominations. A total of 7 Compton Fellows were selected. Click here For more information